Beautancus
Well-Known Member
"Old" Hrodino had become a city of lights in the wake of the "formation" of the Empire, the beauty and grandeur of the spectacle defying the expectations of even the Emperor-Elect. Though most of the powers that be in the city had been given far-advanced warning, it was only possible to make so many preparations without giving the fact that they were preparing for such a thing away. As such, the atmosphere at the beginning of the week that had produced such a spectacular result had been tense beyond words. Every man and woman involved in this project in anyway were aware that they were under the most intense scrutiny.
The most prominent artists and decorators were engaged in embellishing the palaces and streets of the city, with the nigh limitless resources of the Secretariat of State behind them. Commemorative coins and medals had been minted and liberally distributed amongst the common folk of the city, to commemorate this most Sacred Coronation. A number of foreign painters and engravers, primarily Frescanians, Tyskers, and Živo's had even been commissioned to do great works here.
Arkady Pawel Omeljan, universally recognized as the greatest living Sarmatian composer had offered his services for the occasion, and was reported to have crafted an absolutely divine piece that would cement his place in the hierarchy of the preeminent composers in all of history, not merely the modern era.
As early as late Czerwiec (June) hordes of people set out for Stary Hrodino in hopes of partaking in what would undoubtedly be the grandest festivities witnessed in Central Europe since the perpetual ecstasy that had gripped the whole world at the end of the Great War. In centuries past, these folk would have been peasants, or perhaps fugitive serfs searching eagerly for "bread and circuses," of which there were still more than a few examples, tightly packed in vacant blocks throughout the bustling capital city.
The city- and the nation was alight with anticipation of the arrival of the host of celebrities, dignitaries, and world leaders- both religious and political.
Never before had the Throne City of the Sarmatian Steppe been host to such an assemblage of notables, and the mania had extended to every household, from the ancient and sprawling manses of the szlachta and magnates to the most porous cardboard box in the dankest, most tubercular alleyway.
On Sobota (Saturday), Lipiec (July) 3, 2010, Cesarz-Elekt Jozef III and his son, Korona-Książę (Crown-Prince) Tadeusz, and daughter Księżna Agnieszka held a grand ball at the storied Wozniak Palace- several miles outside Stary Hrodino- entertaining only the very most important national leaders, and the various international contingents that were already present in the Empire. The next three days were devoted to the preparations for the Ceremonial Entry into the Biąly, or White Palace, which was to remain the Imperial Residence of the Cesarz after his coronation.
On the morning of Lipiec 7th, every bell in Hrodino tolled the coming the sun, and likewise, the culmination of the great dance that the entire nation had been engaged in for nearly a year now. Every non-committed civil-servant, and certainly every member of the Armed Forces not engaged in actively vital duties elsewhere had been reassigned to the streets of the capital, which were lined with every variety of symbols of Sarmatian Imperial Might, from the new Imperial Flag, the Royal Standard, the standard of the Green Shirts, all the Armed Forces ensigns- along with hundreds upon hundreds of decorated- but entirely functional armored 4x4's, APC's, IFV's and tanks.
The Imperial Family's escort, the 1st Battalion of the Household Guard (drawn from the elite of the elite, NBD storm-troopers, Paratroopers, and Naval Infantry), the Life-Guards Cavalry (Ułan-3d unit), the Honor Guard of the Imperial Army Academy's graduating class of 2010, and the Winter Guard (a newly reformed regiment of the Trójka Gwardia, or Foreign Legion, composed entirely of "combat veterans," with at least ten years of service) had assembled on the outskirts of the city, subject to the most draconian discipline and regulations. The most ornate Imperial Banners to have been cast in the frantic weeks just past fluttered proudly in the wind before them, and atop their intricately adorned armor.
Flanking the first miles of the route into the city were airmen, sailors, and soldiers of every variety, in their best dressed uniforms- resolutely presenting stiff martial salutes, the "classical style cavalry sabers" that had been issued to each of them lifted and slightly tipped in honor of the passing of the Imperial Escort- and the Imperial Family and its massive retinue.
The miles-long passage formed by the troops, and endless throngs of heavily barricaded civilians led to the centuries-old walls of the White Palace, which was itself more heavily adorned than it had ever been, even in the days of its original construction. Deployed inside the walls of the Palace complex were the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the Life Guards, and a special Color Guard, which included members of each of the Imperial Armed Forces, each handpicked by Marszałek Konstanty Rola himself...and several "regiments" worth of NBD storm-troops, many of whom were disguised as household servants and crucifix-bearing laymen.
These forces were under the command of Generał-Dywizji Menachim Yaszow, one of Rola's chief lieutenants, and a distant cousin of the Khagan- and a veteran commander of Naval Infantry. Yaszow and his nearly silent and entirely nameless NBD counterpart were stressed nearly to the point of breaking, with every balcony, ledge, promenade and roof in the complex swarming with people, all of whom were appropriately credentialed...but still, massive in number.
Every eye present (that was not actively engaged in security) was rivted upon the Triumfalny Trakt (the Triumphal Way) that led into the Palace, where the armored tip of the Imperial Family's escort was already visible.
Hundreds of cameras, representing media outlets from every "amicable" nation in the world were likewise present- in very heavily secured areas under the cruelly watchful eyes of the NBD and the Life Guards. Though these vantage points were in fact very carefully guarded, they had likewise been chosen to offer a sufficient vantage point for the millions upon millions that would be watching at home, equally riveted by the great spectacle that the Emperor-Elect had put on.
At last a flight of green-enameled Kara fighter-bombers screamed overhead, heralding the arrival of the Imperial Family on the grounds with great columns of green and gold smoke in the summer sky.
The splendor of the Imperial Procession had unfolded gradually as it passed through the city and into the White Palace. The procession of foreign dignitaries and their security details, figures of regional and national importance, greater khans and magnates, and clergy that had come before the Imperial Procession proper had been grand in its own right- and had provided an absolutely vital, visible gesture of goodwill to the Sarmatians and Khazars assembled on the streets of Hrodino as much as a show of support for the Emperor-Elect.
Of those that passed before the Imperial Family, Khagan Absalom VIII of the Ancient and Mighty Royal Yaghbu Clan and the Imperial Primate, Kajetan III had perhaps received the most uproarious receptions along the way to the White Palace, with untold tons of flowers tossed before them as they passed.
Of the foreigners that passed, the Ziv Sindikat-Maresal Dionis Huszar was most warmly welcomed by the people of Hrodino. Easily the most recognizable non-Sarmatian to the millions of Imperial citizens, Huszar had long been hailed as the sort of canny, and obviously "strong" leader that Centrjziema needed. The Tyskers and the Frescanians received specially timed, but very enthusiastic cheering- and all the rest received what was their polite due.
The interior of the White Palace complex- hemmed in by great walls that recalled an age when cannons were not yet strong enough to pound through stone- had been restored to its original period-style, which was then amplified. Religious iconography- both Royal Yaghbu Clan daghmas and Davidic Stars, alongside ancient Christian icons, harkening back to the Dominican roots of the (very "high-church") Imperial Episcopal Reformed Church.
Likewise, and most prominently were the new devices of the Imperial Household, the so-called "Sarmatian Eagle clutching an unadorned Reformed Crucifix in one claw talon, and an equally unadorned but no less evocative Princely mace/scepter in the other. The bronze and green bars that were the naval ensign of the Imperial Household were also present- a clear reminder of the purposefully martial nature of this new dynasty.
A small army of Deacons and Shepherds were about the grounds of the Palace, wielding psalters of sweet-smelling and deeply colored incense flanked by grim-featured laymen bearing oversized bronze crucifixes that burned in the mid-day summer sun.
These plainly garbed men of faith were starkly contrasted by the anachronistic armor and uniforms of the Color Guard. Each service branch represented in that Guard had been issued unique armor patters, recalling that of their historical predecessors in material and style. They were proving to be something of an attraction for the attendees, many of whom had long since grown restless in their wait for the arrival of the Imperial Family.
After some hours of travel, rarely reaching better than 5 km/h, the Imperial Procession was fully within the walls of the White Palace- and the Imperial Family bustled into the carriage that had been prepared to take them directly into the Inner Courtyard- and the Imperial Chapel where the Emperor-Elect would be crowned. The carriage that had been chosen for this task had seen similar use for nearly two and a half centuries- back to the first Golden Age of Sarmatia. It was open enough to allow the Imperial Family a clear view of their well-wishers, and likewise to allow those folk an adequate glimpse of their Monarch- but was also retrofitted in such a fashion to allow for the Emperor-Elect's bodyguards to easily seal him off from potential harm.
No harm would be done to that man- or anyone within the White Palace, on this day of all days. The slow roll to the Inner Courtyard had been an almost surreal experience, with the energy that washed off of the throngs of "high-society" types that were present there, so strong that it stood the hair on the back of the Emperor-Elect's neck on end. This had been what Kościałkowsky had so desperately wanted, had so bitterly fought for...and now the emotions were simply overwhelming. The weights that had so firmly shackled his heart were gone now, at least for the day.
Upon drawing into the Courtyard, the world fell silent save for the scraping of boots and iron-shod hooves on finely packed gravel and polished marble. A graceful and lithe servant swept up to the gold-plated doors of the carriage to turn the handle and slowly sweep the door open. Another servant swept in behind the first, placing a cushioned stepstool squarely before the carriage's exit, and waited as the delicate, but sure foot of the Princess snaked downward, careful to make sure that the footing was indeed firm.
And it was thus that the Imperial Family exited their carriage, and were seen into the chapel, where all of their most important guests were present- and where the Imperial Primate waited.
The grand symphony composed for this moment by Arkady Omeljan now wafted down on the still air, as celestial in scope as had been promised. Truly, it was put many a mind to the supposed "music of the spheres" which the Early Modern philosophers and theologians had made so much of. Noiselessly, officials and their assistants carried the Imperial Regalia, the Chain of the Order of St. Ignatius, the Sword of State, the Banner of State, the State Seal, the Purple for His Majesty the Cesarz, the Orb, the Sceptor, the Grand-Princely Crown of Stary Hrodino, and the newly fashioned Great Imperial Crown.
Księżna Agnieszka accepted the Chain of the Order of St. Ignatius from the head of that Order, and her brother, Korona-Książę Tadeusz accepted the Sword of State from Marszałek Rola. Bowing to her brother, Agnieszka then bestowed a solemn kiss upon her father's cheek before turning to the Imperial Primate, inviting him forward.
Grasping the Grand-Princely Crown firmly in his ancient hands, Kajetan placed the great weight of gold and jewels upon Tadeusz's head, exchanging the appropriate oaths and prayers with the future Emperor or Greater Sarmatia. The assembled guest were invited to give their most respectful cheers- and the Crown-Prince was confirmed before God and Men.
Directly thereafter turning to the Emperor-Elect all three persons bowed deeply, with the Crown-Prince holding the Sword of State up to his father, the flat of the blade against his upturned palms.
"I accept the pledge of fidelity and service contained within this noble blade, willingly and worthily offered to me by my son, the flesh of my flesh- in place of all of my sons and daughters, the many children of Greater Sarmatia..." Continuing on in this vein for some time, until all the strictures of Imperial protocol had been observed.
A similar exchange with Agnieszka followed- and like with every other item of significance until all that remained were the Purple of His Majesty, and the Great Imperial Crown.
Bowing for the first time in a great many years, the Emperor-Elect went to one knee before the Imperial Primate. In a voice long-practiced in such things, Kajetan took up the clear and crisp proclamation of the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Unction of Sarmatian Monarchs since there had been such men. The wholeness of the Liturgy took some minutes to recite in its entirety, and the responses of the Emperor-Elect were similarly lengthy, though steeped in what was arguable the strongest absolutist tradition in Europe.
At last the ritual drew near to a close. The Purple of His Majesty was draped over the Emperor-Elect's shoulders, slightly stooped and narrow with age- but still as proud as they had been when they'd been the squared shoulders of a young Royal Army officer. Rising- slowly- and turning to the face the crowd once more, the Emperor-Elect's face was a bronze-mask of composure and dignity.
Kajetan's hands once more grasped, this time the last of the Imperial accoutrements- and placed the Grand Imperial Crown firmly upon the head of Dr. Jozef Kościałkowsky.
"And I present to you- noble and pious sons and daughters of Mother Sarmatia, friends and allies from the world-over, I present to you: Cesarz Jozef the Third, called the White."
The most prominent artists and decorators were engaged in embellishing the palaces and streets of the city, with the nigh limitless resources of the Secretariat of State behind them. Commemorative coins and medals had been minted and liberally distributed amongst the common folk of the city, to commemorate this most Sacred Coronation. A number of foreign painters and engravers, primarily Frescanians, Tyskers, and Živo's had even been commissioned to do great works here.
Arkady Pawel Omeljan, universally recognized as the greatest living Sarmatian composer had offered his services for the occasion, and was reported to have crafted an absolutely divine piece that would cement his place in the hierarchy of the preeminent composers in all of history, not merely the modern era.
As early as late Czerwiec (June) hordes of people set out for Stary Hrodino in hopes of partaking in what would undoubtedly be the grandest festivities witnessed in Central Europe since the perpetual ecstasy that had gripped the whole world at the end of the Great War. In centuries past, these folk would have been peasants, or perhaps fugitive serfs searching eagerly for "bread and circuses," of which there were still more than a few examples, tightly packed in vacant blocks throughout the bustling capital city.
The city- and the nation was alight with anticipation of the arrival of the host of celebrities, dignitaries, and world leaders- both religious and political.
Never before had the Throne City of the Sarmatian Steppe been host to such an assemblage of notables, and the mania had extended to every household, from the ancient and sprawling manses of the szlachta and magnates to the most porous cardboard box in the dankest, most tubercular alleyway.
On Sobota (Saturday), Lipiec (July) 3, 2010, Cesarz-Elekt Jozef III and his son, Korona-Książę (Crown-Prince) Tadeusz, and daughter Księżna Agnieszka held a grand ball at the storied Wozniak Palace- several miles outside Stary Hrodino- entertaining only the very most important national leaders, and the various international contingents that were already present in the Empire. The next three days were devoted to the preparations for the Ceremonial Entry into the Biąly, or White Palace, which was to remain the Imperial Residence of the Cesarz after his coronation.
On the morning of Lipiec 7th, every bell in Hrodino tolled the coming the sun, and likewise, the culmination of the great dance that the entire nation had been engaged in for nearly a year now. Every non-committed civil-servant, and certainly every member of the Armed Forces not engaged in actively vital duties elsewhere had been reassigned to the streets of the capital, which were lined with every variety of symbols of Sarmatian Imperial Might, from the new Imperial Flag, the Royal Standard, the standard of the Green Shirts, all the Armed Forces ensigns- along with hundreds upon hundreds of decorated- but entirely functional armored 4x4's, APC's, IFV's and tanks.
The Imperial Family's escort, the 1st Battalion of the Household Guard (drawn from the elite of the elite, NBD storm-troopers, Paratroopers, and Naval Infantry), the Life-Guards Cavalry (Ułan-3d unit), the Honor Guard of the Imperial Army Academy's graduating class of 2010, and the Winter Guard (a newly reformed regiment of the Trójka Gwardia, or Foreign Legion, composed entirely of "combat veterans," with at least ten years of service) had assembled on the outskirts of the city, subject to the most draconian discipline and regulations. The most ornate Imperial Banners to have been cast in the frantic weeks just past fluttered proudly in the wind before them, and atop their intricately adorned armor.
Flanking the first miles of the route into the city were airmen, sailors, and soldiers of every variety, in their best dressed uniforms- resolutely presenting stiff martial salutes, the "classical style cavalry sabers" that had been issued to each of them lifted and slightly tipped in honor of the passing of the Imperial Escort- and the Imperial Family and its massive retinue.
The miles-long passage formed by the troops, and endless throngs of heavily barricaded civilians led to the centuries-old walls of the White Palace, which was itself more heavily adorned than it had ever been, even in the days of its original construction. Deployed inside the walls of the Palace complex were the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the Life Guards, and a special Color Guard, which included members of each of the Imperial Armed Forces, each handpicked by Marszałek Konstanty Rola himself...and several "regiments" worth of NBD storm-troops, many of whom were disguised as household servants and crucifix-bearing laymen.
These forces were under the command of Generał-Dywizji Menachim Yaszow, one of Rola's chief lieutenants, and a distant cousin of the Khagan- and a veteran commander of Naval Infantry. Yaszow and his nearly silent and entirely nameless NBD counterpart were stressed nearly to the point of breaking, with every balcony, ledge, promenade and roof in the complex swarming with people, all of whom were appropriately credentialed...but still, massive in number.
Every eye present (that was not actively engaged in security) was rivted upon the Triumfalny Trakt (the Triumphal Way) that led into the Palace, where the armored tip of the Imperial Family's escort was already visible.
Hundreds of cameras, representing media outlets from every "amicable" nation in the world were likewise present- in very heavily secured areas under the cruelly watchful eyes of the NBD and the Life Guards. Though these vantage points were in fact very carefully guarded, they had likewise been chosen to offer a sufficient vantage point for the millions upon millions that would be watching at home, equally riveted by the great spectacle that the Emperor-Elect had put on.
At last a flight of green-enameled Kara fighter-bombers screamed overhead, heralding the arrival of the Imperial Family on the grounds with great columns of green and gold smoke in the summer sky.
The splendor of the Imperial Procession had unfolded gradually as it passed through the city and into the White Palace. The procession of foreign dignitaries and their security details, figures of regional and national importance, greater khans and magnates, and clergy that had come before the Imperial Procession proper had been grand in its own right- and had provided an absolutely vital, visible gesture of goodwill to the Sarmatians and Khazars assembled on the streets of Hrodino as much as a show of support for the Emperor-Elect.
Of those that passed before the Imperial Family, Khagan Absalom VIII of the Ancient and Mighty Royal Yaghbu Clan and the Imperial Primate, Kajetan III had perhaps received the most uproarious receptions along the way to the White Palace, with untold tons of flowers tossed before them as they passed.
Of the foreigners that passed, the Ziv Sindikat-Maresal Dionis Huszar was most warmly welcomed by the people of Hrodino. Easily the most recognizable non-Sarmatian to the millions of Imperial citizens, Huszar had long been hailed as the sort of canny, and obviously "strong" leader that Centrjziema needed. The Tyskers and the Frescanians received specially timed, but very enthusiastic cheering- and all the rest received what was their polite due.
The interior of the White Palace complex- hemmed in by great walls that recalled an age when cannons were not yet strong enough to pound through stone- had been restored to its original period-style, which was then amplified. Religious iconography- both Royal Yaghbu Clan daghmas and Davidic Stars, alongside ancient Christian icons, harkening back to the Dominican roots of the (very "high-church") Imperial Episcopal Reformed Church.
Likewise, and most prominently were the new devices of the Imperial Household, the so-called "Sarmatian Eagle clutching an unadorned Reformed Crucifix in one claw talon, and an equally unadorned but no less evocative Princely mace/scepter in the other. The bronze and green bars that were the naval ensign of the Imperial Household were also present- a clear reminder of the purposefully martial nature of this new dynasty.
A small army of Deacons and Shepherds were about the grounds of the Palace, wielding psalters of sweet-smelling and deeply colored incense flanked by grim-featured laymen bearing oversized bronze crucifixes that burned in the mid-day summer sun.
These plainly garbed men of faith were starkly contrasted by the anachronistic armor and uniforms of the Color Guard. Each service branch represented in that Guard had been issued unique armor patters, recalling that of their historical predecessors in material and style. They were proving to be something of an attraction for the attendees, many of whom had long since grown restless in their wait for the arrival of the Imperial Family.
After some hours of travel, rarely reaching better than 5 km/h, the Imperial Procession was fully within the walls of the White Palace- and the Imperial Family bustled into the carriage that had been prepared to take them directly into the Inner Courtyard- and the Imperial Chapel where the Emperor-Elect would be crowned. The carriage that had been chosen for this task had seen similar use for nearly two and a half centuries- back to the first Golden Age of Sarmatia. It was open enough to allow the Imperial Family a clear view of their well-wishers, and likewise to allow those folk an adequate glimpse of their Monarch- but was also retrofitted in such a fashion to allow for the Emperor-Elect's bodyguards to easily seal him off from potential harm.
No harm would be done to that man- or anyone within the White Palace, on this day of all days. The slow roll to the Inner Courtyard had been an almost surreal experience, with the energy that washed off of the throngs of "high-society" types that were present there, so strong that it stood the hair on the back of the Emperor-Elect's neck on end. This had been what Kościałkowsky had so desperately wanted, had so bitterly fought for...and now the emotions were simply overwhelming. The weights that had so firmly shackled his heart were gone now, at least for the day.
Upon drawing into the Courtyard, the world fell silent save for the scraping of boots and iron-shod hooves on finely packed gravel and polished marble. A graceful and lithe servant swept up to the gold-plated doors of the carriage to turn the handle and slowly sweep the door open. Another servant swept in behind the first, placing a cushioned stepstool squarely before the carriage's exit, and waited as the delicate, but sure foot of the Princess snaked downward, careful to make sure that the footing was indeed firm.
And it was thus that the Imperial Family exited their carriage, and were seen into the chapel, where all of their most important guests were present- and where the Imperial Primate waited.
The grand symphony composed for this moment by Arkady Omeljan now wafted down on the still air, as celestial in scope as had been promised. Truly, it was put many a mind to the supposed "music of the spheres" which the Early Modern philosophers and theologians had made so much of. Noiselessly, officials and their assistants carried the Imperial Regalia, the Chain of the Order of St. Ignatius, the Sword of State, the Banner of State, the State Seal, the Purple for His Majesty the Cesarz, the Orb, the Sceptor, the Grand-Princely Crown of Stary Hrodino, and the newly fashioned Great Imperial Crown.
Księżna Agnieszka accepted the Chain of the Order of St. Ignatius from the head of that Order, and her brother, Korona-Książę Tadeusz accepted the Sword of State from Marszałek Rola. Bowing to her brother, Agnieszka then bestowed a solemn kiss upon her father's cheek before turning to the Imperial Primate, inviting him forward.
Grasping the Grand-Princely Crown firmly in his ancient hands, Kajetan placed the great weight of gold and jewels upon Tadeusz's head, exchanging the appropriate oaths and prayers with the future Emperor or Greater Sarmatia. The assembled guest were invited to give their most respectful cheers- and the Crown-Prince was confirmed before God and Men.
Directly thereafter turning to the Emperor-Elect all three persons bowed deeply, with the Crown-Prince holding the Sword of State up to his father, the flat of the blade against his upturned palms.
"I accept the pledge of fidelity and service contained within this noble blade, willingly and worthily offered to me by my son, the flesh of my flesh- in place of all of my sons and daughters, the many children of Greater Sarmatia..." Continuing on in this vein for some time, until all the strictures of Imperial protocol had been observed.
A similar exchange with Agnieszka followed- and like with every other item of significance until all that remained were the Purple of His Majesty, and the Great Imperial Crown.
Bowing for the first time in a great many years, the Emperor-Elect went to one knee before the Imperial Primate. In a voice long-practiced in such things, Kajetan took up the clear and crisp proclamation of the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Unction of Sarmatian Monarchs since there had been such men. The wholeness of the Liturgy took some minutes to recite in its entirety, and the responses of the Emperor-Elect were similarly lengthy, though steeped in what was arguable the strongest absolutist tradition in Europe.
At last the ritual drew near to a close. The Purple of His Majesty was draped over the Emperor-Elect's shoulders, slightly stooped and narrow with age- but still as proud as they had been when they'd been the squared shoulders of a young Royal Army officer. Rising- slowly- and turning to the face the crowd once more, the Emperor-Elect's face was a bronze-mask of composure and dignity.
Kajetan's hands once more grasped, this time the last of the Imperial accoutrements- and placed the Grand Imperial Crown firmly upon the head of Dr. Jozef Kościałkowsky.
"And I present to you- noble and pious sons and daughters of Mother Sarmatia, friends and allies from the world-over, I present to you: Cesarz Jozef the Third, called the White."
